Although Governor Godwin Obaseki has come out to strongly deny allegations by the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, that he was planning to decamp to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), indices presage such a move after the PDP adopted a no-zoning policy in picking the party’s governorship candidate for next year’s governorship election in Edo.
The PDP has also resolved that the position of the state chairman would not be zoned as well. The moves have been widely interpreted as signals to Obaseki to defect and contest the election on the PDP platform; in the eventuality that he is denied the APC ticket, as it now seems likely, given the schism between Obaseki and the APC national chairman.
Former Edo governor, Lucky Igbinedion disclosed the no-zoning arrangement to journalists in Abuja after the Edo State chapter of the PDP met with the national leadership of the party. He however, did not give details of the new arrangement, but said the idea behind a no-zoning system for the emergence of the governorship candidate and chairman of the PDP in the state is to throw up the best candidates for the two positions. Few political watchers believe him
The close-door meeting, which was held at the PDP’s alternate office in Maitama, was presided over by the National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus. The meeting was said to have agreed that the party in Edo State must present a united party to be attractive to others that may wish to defect. Edo PDP sources told Huhuonline.com that the no-zoning policy was merely part of the horse-trading ahead of the governorship elections to entice and ensure a smooth landing for Obaseki to defect to PDP
A source privy to the meeting informed Huhuonline.com that “the idea of a no-zoning for the emergence of the governorship candidate is to avoid any protest or backlash that Edo South Senatorial district is dominating the production of governors in the state. This is because Lucky Igbinedion had governed the state for eight years from 1999 to 2007.
“Also, Professor Osunbor from Edo Central was governor briefly before the tribunal unseated him and enthroned Adams Oshiomhole. He is from Edo North. Ordinarily, it ought to be the turn of the Central senatorial zone to produce the next governor,” the source explained.
PDP at the meeting was said to have adopted the zero-zoning option for both the governorship candidate and the state chairman as one of the measures to present a united party ahead of the 2020 governorship election in the state. Huhuonline.com also gathered that this is the bait by the PDP to woo Obaseki to call off Oshiomhole’s bluff and thumb his nose to the APC by joining the PDP.
The source said the measure was to woo Obaseki to the PDP, explaining that feelers from the governor’s camp indicate that he would only contemplate such a move if the entire Edo state PDP will be united behind his candidacy before defecting.
“There would be no need for him to come over to PDP and meet a brick wall of it is our turn and other problems. Our meeting is to strengthen rough edges,” the source said. It was against this backdrop that the Edo State PDP demanded to know when the tenure of the present office holders will end and how the party will go about the next congress either by a consensus or through elections.
It was also learnt that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party told the Edo PDP delegation that attended the meeting that words would be sent to it later on the tenure and other terms for congresses.
Confirming the meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan said, “they (Edo PDP) came to raise issues about the tenureship of their executive and the party said they would look into the details to know whether the tenure has elapsed or to know when the tenure will elapse.
“They were not complaining that the tenure had ended. They just wanted to know when the tenure will end and how soon they will have a congress because they want to go to the next election as a united party. The party has promised to look into the records. They want the party united before the 2020 election so that they can win”, the spokesman of PDP said. .
Huhuonline.com also gathered from insiders within PDP, that one of the terms to attract Obaseki was to ensure a united party with defined tenure of office of the state party executives. “The governor will not like a party where there would be in-fighting among members with his defection. So, the meeting is to spell out the terms and tenure of the present executive. This is to clear the coast with future engagements with those who wish to join the party in the state”.
Obaseki is in battle with the National Chairman of the All APC, Adams Oshiomhole over who gets the party governorship ticket in the 2020 governorship election in the state. Obaseki has repeatedly said he had no plans to leave the ruling APC.
The governor reaffirmed his stand last Wednesday, while receiving members of the Godwin Obaseki Support Group (GOSG) during a courtesy visit at the Government House in Benin City. Without mentioning Oshiomhole by name, but left no one in doubt as to who he was referencing, Obaseki reportedly said: “If a handful of individuals start misbehaving and feel we will leave the party for them; they will be the ones to leave.”
Obaseki described the APC as a party for the youths and the next generation; hence his administration was focused on infrastructural and institutional reforms that would stand the test of time. “This is a government of real change, which is concerned about youths and the future. This government has performed beyond people’s expectations and we are proud of the things we have done so far.”
